UPDATE: January 9, 2021, 7:50 pm EST Apple announced that it has suspended Parler. In a statement provided to Mashable, the company wrote: “We have always supported a variety of views being represented on the App Store, but there is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activities. Parler has not taken appropriate steps to address the proliferation of these. threats to people’s safety. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these problems. “
When it comes to the App Store, any advertising really looks like good advertising.
Less than 24 hours after Apple threatened to remove Parler from its App Store, the social media app favored by conservatives for its content moderation policies rose to the top of the download charts. On Saturday afternoon, just hours before the announced deadline expired, the alternative to Twitter took on a new life.
Parler suddenly found himself listed as the number one free app on the App Store – a rating no doubt, at least in part, thanks to Apple’s threat of a ban as people rushed to download the app before any possible removal.
Apple did the same on Saturday night, suspending the application because “Parler has not taken adequate steps to deal with the proliferation of … threats to people’s security”. But during the nearly one day postponement that the app had before it was removed, many more users embarked.
The signal is good, however. Image: screenshot / app store
This seemingly arbitrary 24-hour window contrasts sharply with the action taken by Google against Parler. The Mountain View-based technology giant went ahead and removed Parler from the Google Play Store on Friday, without first giving a very public warning.
It is important to note that the reasons for removing Google and the threat of removing Apple are about the same. Both companies expressed concern about the lack of moderation of app content after the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol building by pro-Trump extremists – some of whom discussed their plans ahead of the event on the internet.
Apple, however, offered Parler time to act together. According Wall Street Journal, Apple said “in order for Parler to remain available on the App Store, it must provide detailed information about its content moderation plans and how it would improve content moderation and filtering in the future.”
Which, hey, if it works, great.
SEE TOO: Twitter permanently suspends @TeamTrump after a string of Trump tweets
We contacted Apple and Parler to confirm these reports, but we did not receive an immediate response from either.
Meanwhile, downloads from the App Store continue to increase.